Strike Witches Episode 08 (of 12) (Mania.com)

Is it wrong that I want them to go back to the pure fanservice material at this point instead of playing at character stories?

What They Say:Akagi, the aircraft carrier that transported Yoshika from the Empire of Fuso, makes a port call at Port Witches. The crew hands Yoshika a thank-you letter which is snatched away by Minna. Puzzled by Minna’s strange behavior, Yoshika seeks her best friend Lynne’s advice.

The Review:The eighth episode of Strike Witches goes back to the standard mold as established through the bulk of the series as it deals with one particular character as seen through the eyes of Yoshika. The seventh episode wasn’t something that anyone expected to last, but it certainly provided a nice break from the formula that’s been used. And with the series straddling the line with its fanservice since the start, having it become more blatant certainly wasn’t a bad thing. I wouldn’t mind five more episodes of that since it would at least be honest about what it is.

This episode keeps the standard level of panty-service that we’ve seen in the earlier episodes so there’s no fear there that the show has become tame. Where the focus is on primarily is with the character of Minna as her background is slowly explored. This is kicked off when Yoshika learns that as commander, she’s decided that there shall be no fraternization between the Witches and the engineering staff that takes care of things on the base. This is surprising to Yoshika since she’s been friendly with everyone in her life and has been doing the same thing since she came to Britannia. Undeterred, Yoshika seeks out Lynette to see if the two of them can figure out what it is.

Minna’s background is one that provides a bit more of an idea of what was happening on the continent some time prior to current events. Her home country was invaded by the Neuroi early on and she suffered a great deal because of the attacks on the base she was stationed at. Naturally it ties in to what Yoshika discovered and everything is answered in a neat and pat fashion. The ties to that particular aspect as well as Minna’s return to her homeland and base isn’t a surprising occurrence here since Strike Witches is a very telegraphed show. It continues to be executed well but the predictability level of it is something that is simply too blatant at times, but also expected as it’s going with an episodic style.

In Summary:Fans of Minna finally get their episode with Strike Witches and the cool and competent commander has her back story told in decent detail and with the expected level of emotion. Yoshika’s view of everyone is still the thing that provides the context for it all, but after the last few episodes there are different things I want from the series than what I’m getting. I want to see more of the potential relationship between Yoshika and Lynette. Heck, I’d be happy with more of what Yoshika’s thoughts and dreams about it are. And after the seventh episode, I want more of the blatant fanservice from the series. Give it all and don’t hold back anymore guys, be all that you can be with the Strike Witches. The series continues to be relatively vapid with some nice trappings and cute character designs but will leave you without anything substantial. If you’re in it for the character love, then it’s all good I’m sure. If you want more, you’ll want to look elsewhere.